Kale, Quinoa & Black Bean Soup

I made this soup a few days ago and it was a big hit at my house! I am not a skilled chef, but this soup was very easy to whip up and it really did taste delicious. Plus, it includes a lot of healthy super foods! Here are the ingredients:

*1800 mL vegetable stock (Rachel Ray's tastes great)

*1 can black beans

*1 1/2 cups quinoa (Ancient Harvest)

*4-5 cups kale

*1 large tomato, diced

*1 large onion, chopped

*5 cloves garlic, minced

*1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

*1 tsp. thyme

*1 tsp. ground sage

*1/2 tsp. black pepper

*1 tsp sea salt

Step 1

Heat olive oil in the pot with the onion & garlic until transparent

Step 2
Add vegetable stock, tomato, and spices to pot and boil for 20 minutes

Step 3
Add kale and black beans and simmer for 10 minutes

Step 4
Add cooked quinoa to the pot and boil for 2-3 minutes

Step 5
Serve and enjoy! And watch your family's delight as they try it - like I said, it was a big hit here at home!

Mind Health: The First Step To Happiness

I have thought a lot about what creates a happy mind, heart, and soul. I have read countless books about happiness, such as The Secret and The Four Agreements (I recommend both), and I have looked internally to see what causes hurt in my life and in other's lives. The number one thing I have found that causes the most hurt: The Ego.

The ego is a very complicated part of us. It is the "id" in us that would rather hide the candy in our room rather than share it with our family. It is the part of us that gossips about someone who did something hurtful to us. It is the part of us that is a selfish, needy child that wants their needs met and wants it NOW. Everyone has an ego, and I think it's impossible to completely get rid of it. But you can help quiet it and let your "good side" be the one in charge. Harry Potter's Sirius Black explains it perfectly:

How To: Quiet The Ego

1) Recognize that the universe does not, in fact, revolve around you.

Recognize that you are a tiny grain of sand on a beach, a fleck of dust in the wind. There are bigger things than you in this world. There are people will more difficult problems than you have in your life, and the universe cannot always cater to your every need, no matter how much you think you might need something. A great way to connect with this feeling of humility is to go hiking somewhere in true nature. Climb a mountain, hike to a waterfall, or even hike up a large hill near your home. Breath in the nature and look at the greatness of the Earth. Realize that you are small, and you are lucky enough to be a part of this world that we have created. Another way to do this is to volunteer somewhere, such as a soup kitchen, a retirement home, or an animal shelter. You will be helping others, and you will be brought back down to earth by seeing other's life situations that are probably more difficult than your own.

2) Everyone has their own path.

The ego loves to judge others by their actions, words, or even by their clothes. However, we have no right to judge anyone, no matter what they do. Everyone has been put on this earth to follow their own personal spiritual path. On their path, they will learn, love, and make mistakes, whether we see all of those things happening or not. When you realize this, you will know that we cannot take other's words and actions personally. When someone insults us or does something that hurts our feelings, our ego would love to take this personally. In turn, we get upset, hurt, and angry, but we must realize that we have no control over other's actions. 

Therefore, we must accept whatever they do as just being part of their own personal path. Don't take any harmful words or actions personally because it has nothing to do with you. It is part of their spiritual path, and they will have to learn later. This may help with jealousy, too. Do not be jealous, for everyone has different successes and talents for a spiritual, divine purpose. This goes along with compliments and flattery too. Our ego loves to be stroked with compliments and flattery, but we must be humble. These compliments are also part of this person's path, and while they might make you happy, you shouldn't dwell on them. You can accept them, but don't obsess over them. Letting the ego grow larger will not help you. Don't judge, and know in your heart that you have your own path while everyone else does to.

3) Think before you speak.

The ego is like an unruly child in the classroom: interrupting others while they are speaking, pushing a child over when they are angry, or crying when they don't get their way. While we don't do these things as adults (at least I hope not), the ego finds ways around this. See, the ego LOVES to over-react. The ego does not "think," it only over-reacts based on emotion and does not include any logic. It is important not to hurt people with words. Words are powerful things that can easily stick in a person's mind for the rest of their life.  So in order to control the ego, we must of course recognize that everyone has their own path, but we must always think about what we are saying before we say it. Have you ever said something that seems harmless in your mind, but you found out that it deeply hurt the person and you didn't know why? That's because the ego allowed you to think that it was okay to say that thing, no matter how selfish or hurtful it came out as. Stop and think before you speak, and do not let your ego's childish emotions take over you. You are no longer a child, so you should never allow your ego to make you act like one.

4) Meditate.

We all have an inner peace. Within our soul, we have an intelligence that has the answer to all of our questions .We have the peace and serenity in our center that we cannot find in every day-to-day life. The ego is a shallow problem. When we meditate deep enough, we push the ego aside and we focus on the 'here and now.' We can feel the peace that we all have deeply rooted within us when we meditate. Meditation can help you feel calm, focused, and humble as well. The universe is within us, and the ego is a petty part of us that we can easily quiet down, yet so many of us let it control our lives. Find a quiet place, whether that be the floor of your bedroom or on a quiet beach. Find any position that's comfortable, close your eyes, and let yourself relax in silence. It may be difficult to do at first since our busy minds are unruly, but with practice, you will be able to slowly quiet the ego and fill your heart and soul with peace and love.

We have been living with our unruly ego for years, so all of these tips will be an ongoing life practice. The first step to quieting the ego is recognizing that you have one. From there, you can follow these tips one and a time and find your own path to greatness.

How I Lost Weight - The Healthy Way

I know this blog is called My Hippie Life, but I think that exercising and staying in good health is very important in everyone's lives (even hippies like you and me). I believe that your body is a haven and you should treat it with nothing but healthy foods and good exercise. I believe that your physical well-being and your spiritual well-being are directly connected. This is all based on my experience and research, and it is okay if you disagree! But I encourage you to do your own research too. So this is what has happened to me this year:

I don't like putting a picture of me in my bra out in the open, but I think it will help make a point. I've lost 16 pounds so far in 4 months, and I really want to tell you how: diet change. It is truly ALL about the diet, and somewhat about the exercise!

At the beginning of the year, I was struggling. I weighed about 154 pounds, more than I have ever weighed. I had a knee injury for over a year that prevented me from doing any cardio, I had tore my oblique in yoga, and I had pinched my sciatic nerve in a cycling class. Basically, I was falling apart! Because of this, I got pretty depressed that I couldn't exercise and I started eating like crap.

When this year started, I knew I had to change. I tried cutting my calories but didn't really change what I ate. I was starving all the time trying to eat 1200 calories and was losing weight extremely slowly, if at all. Over spring break, my mom had me watch a documentary called Vegucated. It is about people who live a vegan life and why they do it. I can honestly say that this documentary changed my life. After that video, I made extreme changes to my diet.

What I did:

1) Gave up ALL meat cold turkey (ha)

2) Stopped eating eggs and most dairy

3) Started eating more clean than I was before (much more grains and vegetables!)

Is that it? Yes. That is all I did. I did still eat fish though, so I'm not a true vegetarian. Literally, within two and a half months, I dropped 13 pounds without even trying. I didn't count my calories, protein, or carbohydrates. I just ate less processed crap and no meat, eggs, or most dairy. That is all it took for me to drop the weight.

Amazingly, after about three months of this diet change, my injuries actually started to heal. I really couldn't believe it. When I got home from college for the summer, I actually jogged for the first time in almost two years! A combination of raw foods, healthy foods, and weight loss all started to work together and heal my stubborn knee. I couldn't be happier!

You can do it too.

Dealing with weight is a pain in the booty, but you can easily manage your weight and feel better about yourself by eating better. And you will feel better. You will have much more energy and will even feel positive about life.

I know everyone is different, but from my experience, this is what works:

1) Give up meat, especially red meats and processed meats. There is ample evidence that red & processed meats are plain terrible for your health. If you do not believe me, feel free to do some of your own research! I support this. If you do decide to give up meat, though, make sure you are taking a multivitamin to get adequate B12, calcium, and iron.

2) Start getting rid of the dairy. Dairy is full of calories and fat. Low-fat dairy has added sugar to make it taste better, according to Dr. Oz. Plus, most Americans can't even digest it properly. If you get gassy from dairy, it's because the dairy is literally sitting in your intestines, fermenting, because you lack the enzyme to digest it properly. I do have the occasional cheese, but I am in love with soy milk. I put it in coffee, cereal, and everything else. It tastes great and it is a light drink.

3) Eggs are icky. Okay, I know this could be my opinion alone, but I hate eggs now. They taste weird to me and they are kind of gross if you think about what they really are. But that is my personal opinion and you don't have to do this. Steer clear of egg yolks though - maybe just one a day - and stick to egg whites because they are much healthier for you.

4) MORE vegetables and fruits. Most people do not get any vegetables, and the others think that loading up on fruit will take its place. Wrong! Vegetables are so important. They contain so many nutrients that our bodies need. If you aren't eating vegetables, you might feel full, but your body is starved nutritionally. Make an effort to eat more of these. Of course, fruits are great too, but you probably don't need as much as you think. Check this out to see how much of each you need, and stick to it:

http://www.cdc.gov/nutrition/everyone/fruitsvegetables/

5) Clean eating. Make an effort to eat CLEAN, as in no processed foods. Processed foods contain harmful chemicals like acetone and aspartame that wreak havoc on your system. I believe that my body was too busy ridding itself of cholesterol and chemicals to even have time to work on healing my injuries! Give your body the break it needs and eat clean.

Resources:

1) Films about food I have found useful:

*Vegucated (on Netflix)

*Food, Inc.

*Fat, Sick, And Nearly Dead (on Netflix)

*Hungry For Change (on Netflix)

I also read a few books at school that were useful to me, but I can't remember their names, so when I am back in school I will update about these books!

Overall, I am sure that this post is controversial, but this is what has worked for me. With a not-so-good metabolism, I think that 13 pounds is a lot to lose. I did plateau at 13 pounds, so the other 3 pounds were lost by exercising and watching my calorie/sugar/fat intake!

I really encourage you to do your own research and figure out what might work for you! Good luck!

Dealing With Attention Deficit Disorder: The Natural Way

It's funny to read the above picture that I found on Pinterest, but this kind of thought process is common among millions of adults and children today, including me. 

I am not sure why it took me 20 years to figure out that I have ADD. I think the symptoms have officially caught up with me, and I am sure there are many people that feel the same way. I have been misdiagnosed with depression and anxiety for years, not that I didn't have those at a certain point in my life, but I simply had them partly because of ADD 'symptoms.' But I am not trying to create some kind of sob story here.

I did a little bit of research of things that people with ADD/ADHD can do to help their 'symptoms' improve. I know there is medication out there, and that medication is a personal choice, but I choose to not be medicated. I was once on a anti-depressant/anti-anxiety pill for a few years and I didn't like how it "numbed" me. It was also hell to get off of, so I try to stay away from medication. However, I understand that medication can really help some people so I do not judge personal choices at all.

How to deal with ADD/ADHD the natural way:

1) Therapy- This probably isn't the answer you're looking for, but therapy really does work wonders for people! I believe that everyone could use a little bit of therapy, especially people who suffer from ADD. It is pretty difficult to just "live with" ADD without any guidance, so a therapist can help you recognize your more negative symptoms and help you learn how to deal with them in a positive way.

2) Brain Games- It is important for people with ADD to constantly work their brain to avoid Alzeimer's and other brain diseases. I would much rather sit on my phone playing Candy Crush Saga in my spare time, but we really need to exercise our brains. Try something simple like sudoku or crossword puzzles. Take a class on something you have never learned before, or on a subject that you might be particularly bad at (math?). Reading is also a great way to work out your brain. Check out luminosity.com for some free "brain games." You can work different parts of your mind and check your progress over time!

3) Diet- Eating right is very important for people with ADD especially. Eliminating trans fats, unhealthy sugars, and refined grains for your diet can be very beneficial for you brain and body. Too much sugar actually directly affects a brain chemical that promotes learning and storing memories, two things that could be difficult to begin with for the average individual with ADD. Also, Omega-3s are SO important for people with ADD, and any other individual. Omega-3s help enhance brain power and they physically strengthen the bonds within your brain. Try eating fish 3-4 times a week, or opt for a fish oil supplement. If you are

vegetarian, find a vegetarian Omega-3 supplement in your nearest health food store. This nutrient is crucial!

4) Exercise: My psychology teacher freshman year told us "there is something that the body loves about exercise." This is very true! Exercise is good for literally everything in your body, including your brain! It helps people focus and function more efficiently during the day as opposed to someone who does not exercise. Yoga is also shown to help people people with ADD immensely by teaching them to focus and relax their mind. So get your butt to the gym, not only for ADD-related reasons, but to live longer and happier!

5) Coffee...maybe: This might be my opinion alone here, but caffeine personally helps me focus much better than I do normally. I'm not advising to drink an energy drink (never!) or get a sugar-filled latte from Starbucks, I'm only suggesting that 1-2 cups a day might really help you focus better. My entire family has some sort of ADD, but when we go out for coffee together, our brains function better together than ever before! I drink my coffee with about 1/3 cup of soy milk because cream and white sugar is just plain bad for you. If you can't stomach milk alone, try to add just a little bit of sugar and then ween yourself off. Sugar is dangerous for ADD individuals, after all.

I am not a doctor by any means, but these are just some suggestions from my personal research. Obviously, consult a doctor before you start running 6 miles per hour on the treadmill while drinking coffee and eating a heap of fish every day. Also, I have heard that the book Driven To Distraction by Dr. Hallowell is awesome for people who have ADD. So you can help yourself, and keep your brain power going strong! 

Finally, don't let ADD/ADHD get you down. It isn't who you are, it is just how you do things. Even if it gets somewhat difficult, remember that you are not alone.

Famous minds who have/had ADD/ADHD: Will Smith, Jim Carey, Tom Cruise, Sylvester Stallone, Robin Williams, Whoopi Goldberg, Bill Cosby, Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Babe Ruth, Pablo Picasso, Vincent Van Gogh, Salvador Dali, Ernest Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Leo Tolstoy, Robert Frost, Edgar Allen Poe, Bill Gates, Walt Disney, Henry Ford, Steven Spielberg, John Lennon, Elvis Presley, Mozart, Beethoven, Cher, Buddy Rich, Winston Churchill, President John F. Kennedy, President Thomas Jefferson, President Abraham Lincoln, President Dwight Eisenhower, Albert Einstein, Stephen Hawking, Nicolai Tesla, Louis Pasteur, Galileo, Sir Isaac Newton, Socrates, and Eleanor Roosevelt.

http://voices.yahoo.com/famous-people-add-adhd-positive-side-add-5248633.html?cat=25

Some positive qualities of people with ADD:

*creative

*intuitive

*imaginative

*flexible

*humorous

*resilient

*good at problem-solving

You can focus on the negative, or bath in the positive! See? We are brilliant minds just waiting to bust out of our shells. If only we could learn how to focus...

Monday Lunch

Quick & easy ingredients:

*3 oz smoked salmon

*2 1/2 cups kale

*1/3 cup soy beans

*1 1/2 medium tomatoes

*1/3 cup mushrooms sauteed in onions

*sprinkled with sea salt, black pepper, coriander, cayenne pepper, and drizzled in lemon juice

323 calories

11 grams fat

27 grams protein

33 carbohydrates

I seriously devoured this salad, it tasted delicious and had a lot of textures, colors, and tastes. 

Quick Protein-Filled Recipe

I didn't have time to take a picture, but here is a filling, healthy, and protein-filled lunch if you are looking for some ideas:

*1 six oz fillet of fresh catch cod
*1/3 cup edamame soybeans
*1 medium tomato, sliced

Throw into a bowl and sprinkle with sea salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper, and basil

*1 cup soy milk
*1 scoop plant-based protein (I use Vegn Sport brand)
*1 cup watermelon
*1/2 cup pineapple

Blend ingredients together for a delicious protein shake! Of course, if you are a whey protein fan, you can use whey, but I believe that plant-based protein to be much better for you. At least, I used to get severe stomach cramps from whey protein, and I no longer get these from the pea protein isolate that I use.

Note: I do eat an odd mixture of vegetarian/vegan/pescetarian, so my recipes revolve around this. I do offer some alternatives though, too, in the description. Have a healthy weekend!

A Hippie's Hip Tattoo

I got this little beauty on my hip yesterday at a tattoo shop called Little Buddha in Steger, Illinois (done by Kenny Young). I couldn't be happier with the results! I had a dream before I came home for summer break. I dreamed that this tattoo was on my hip, and when I woke up, it made a lot of sense for me.

See, my mother was always into yoga when I was younger, so our house was constantly decked out with moon, star, and sun wallpaper, incense burners, candle holders, you name it! It reminds me of our bond together.

Not only that, but I am very interested in tarot cards. I give out tarot card readings and also collect vintage decks. The 19th card (XIX) of the Major Arcana is called The Sun. This card represents someone who makes positive decisions that will help them have a great future. It also represents happiness and strong relationships, along with a charitable person. These are some things that I would like to continue to work towards, so this tattoo meant the world to me.

The Sun:

Tattoos are a wonderful thing! However, I did indeed find it pretty painful (especially on my hip bone). I would say that my pain threshold is below average, so I am sure it isn't as bad for most people. So, if you have a dream or a feeling you should get something, take the jump and GET INKED!